The Day Everything Changed
by 12anonymous33
Summary: Two brothers travel to the legendary Pridelands in search of a new life. One still a cub, the other a strong adult. Their home, family, and everything they ever knew was taken away in one day...
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

On that day, everything was calm, peaceful. The magnificent sun was rising, basking the grassy hills in its orange light. The gazelles began to stir, and birds began their morning songs.

On one of the larger hills, three lions sat side by side, watching the sunrise. The one in the center was large and majestic. His muscular body was covered in yellow fur, and his mane was deep brown and streaked with grey. Yes, this lion's age was beginning to show, but he was still the headstrong leader of his pride. His brown eyes surveyed his territory as the day began.

Beside him were his two sons, whom he loved very much. The elder had just entered adulthood, standing only a few inches shorter than his father. His full mane was a few shades lighter, and his coat was shining youthfully. His eyes, brown like his father's were closed in content as the breeze rustled his mane.

The younger brother, however, had just grown out of cub-hood and into adolescence. He was only a fraction of the size of his brother, and tufts of brown mane were beginning to appear around his yellow head and neck. His eyes were green, like his mother's. The young lion was still pretty groggy, and was leaning against his father's side as he fought to stay awake.

As the sun rose higher, the father, turned to his older son and smiled warmly. "Mwana," he spoke in his deep voice, "One day, you will be the one watching over our territory as King of our pride."

Mwana opened his eyes and glanced at his dad, smiling. "Father, you've already told me this a hundred times!"

The old lion chuckled when his youngest spoke.

"Dad," the cub yawned, "How much longer do we have to stay out here?" Even as he spoke, the young lion was still half-asleep.

The father only smiled and nuzzled his son softly. "Really, Kidogo, try to appreciate moments like these. I won't be around forever, and it's good to spend time together."

Kidogo sat up, trying to shake the sleepiness away as his older brother laughed softly. Their father only turned back to the sun and spoke again.

"Perhaps a story will wake you up, hmm? Off to the west, through the.."

"Father!" Mwana interrupted, annoyed, "You've already told us this story many times."

"Hey!" Kidogo cried, "This is my favorite story!"

The elder rolled his eyes and gave in. He hated to upset his little brother, for they were very close. "Fine. Please continue, father."

The King of the pride smiled and spoke again. "Very well. Off to the west, through the vast jungle, and past the dry desert, lies a paradise known as the Pridelands. In this land, the sky is blue, the grass is green, and there is always enough food and water for everyone. The Pridelands are ruled by a powerful and majestic pride of lions. They live in the great Pride Rock in the center of the kingdom. It is a rock so high it's said one can reach heaven by climbing to the top.

"The pride of lions had one King, a powerful, but just, ruler. He also had a lioness Queen to rule by his side. Together, they had a cub, a son who would grow up to be a great King himself. However, things did not go as planned, for there was one lion whose heart was filled with darkness. This lion was sinister and cunning, and he wanted to be the next king. He was the King's brother, and was very jealous when the son was born. The evil lion proceeded to kill the mighty King, and banished the cub and rightful heir from the Pridelands.

"Under the new King's rule, the Pridelands became an evil place. All of the food and water was gone, and all of the plants died. Everyone suffered. The evil King clung to his power desperately and forced the other animals to do as he said for even the slightest bit of nourishment. Things were not well at all.

"Meanwhile, the rightful heir to the throne had grown up to become a strong adult lion. However, he was still exiled and had lost all hope of regaining his kingdom. Then, the spirit of his deceased father appeared before him. He told his son that he had to defeat his hateful uncle and take his place as King of the Pridelands. The son obeyed, and made his way back to his old home for a final showdown against his uncle.

"When he returned to Pride Rock, the young Prince was shocked and angered to see the state it was in. He engaged his uncle in combat and the lionesses watched in awe as they fought to the death. In the end, the Prince won, and took his rightful place as King of the Pridelands.

"Under the King's rule, the land was resurrected and began to flourish again. The grass was green and the trees grew tall. The animals who had fled returned to their home. All was as it should be, and peace returned to the great Pridelands."

As the old lion finished his tale, he looked at both of his sons. Kidogo was now fully awake, smiling up at his father with his green eyes glowing in content. He had clearly enjoyed the story, and never got bored of it. Even Mwana seemed interested as he looked up at the pink morning sky thoughtfully.

"Father," Mwana asked quietly, "Do you think such a paradise exists? Like the Pridelands? Where did you hear the story?"

Kidogo began jumping around excitedly. "Yeah, Dad! You must've heard it from someone."

The old lion laughed and looked at his two sons. They were both staring at him expectantly, begging for an answer.

Their father tilted his head towards the sky and closed his eyes as the wind rustled his mane.

"A little bird flew on my shoulder and told me."

Mwana and Kidogo hung thier heads in defeat. "You can't be serious," they muttered at the same time. This made their aging father laugh heartily again.

"I thought I'd find you boys up here. What's so funny?"

The three lions turned as they saw a lioness approach them. She was the dominant female of the pride. She had the same bright yellow coat of her pride, and shining green eyes. The lioness was strong and had a stocky build, making her a formidable huntress.

Mwana immediately went up to nuzzle her. "Good morning, Mom," he said softly.

"Oh, Mwana," his mother sighed, "You get bigger and more handsome every day."

The adult lion pulled back and blushed behind his yellow fur. "Mom..." he trailed off, embarrassed. Kidogo, looking jealous, bounded forward to speak to his mother.

"Hey Mom! I'm growing, too, right?" he called out to her anxiously. The lioness chuckled and nuzzled her youngest son.

"Of course you are, sweetie," she replied. She looked up and smiled at her mate as he went up to nuzzle her lovingly.

"Good morning, Makini," he purred.

Makini smiled and leaned into to him. "Good morning, Huduma."

Meanwhile, Kidogo and Mwana sat off to the side. The younger clearly was uncomfortable seeing his parents so affectionate and he made fake gagging noises behind his paw. Mwana stifled laughter. His brother could be so immature sometimes.

Huduma and Makini pulled away from each other and turned to their sons.

"I hope you two enjoyed the sunrise," Huduma said to them. The two young lions nodded their heads in unison and smiled.

"Well," said Makini, "I just finished preparing the lionesses for the morning hunt. Do you boys want to help us get breakfast?"

At this, Kidogo realized how famished he was and his stomach roared with hunger. The lions burst out laughing as the adolescent cub ducked his head in embarrassment. Makini turned and led the way back towards the other lionesses, with Huduma, Mwana, and Kidogo following.

The bright sun had risen over the Savannah by then. The day had just begun.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

It was around midday as Mwana sat on another hill, observing his future territory. His brown eyes scanned the landscape. In front of him, to the north, he could see small mountains in the distance. To the west, he saw a large forest on the horizon, outside of his families' territory. To the east and south, the grassy Savannah kept going for what seemed like forever. Even Huduma didn't know what lay beyond their borders.

Mwana got up and looked at his immediate surroundings. One lonely tree stood guard on the hill the lion was on, and a thin river flowed a ways down the hill, in the middle of the prairie. The river flowed east, and a large chain of trees grew along its banks. Several animals, like zebras, were taking their water, and birds circled high above in search of food.

Mwana turned to look. Behind him, at the bottom of the hill was a grove of trees next to a water hole. That was where his small family and pride lived. The young adult could make out the shapes of lionesses lounging in the shade, going about their own business. This made Mwana feel a little sleepy, so he curled up underneath the tree on the hill and closed his eyes.

His nap was not peaceful. To that day Mwana didn't know if he was ready to become the king of his pride. He wasn't sure that he was ready for the effort and responsibility. Mwana knew that he was well liked in his pride, but the lion was doubtful of his leadership skills.

He also thought about mating. Mwana knew that he would need a mate to love and have a family with. The problem was, he wasn't really attracted to any of the females. It was no secret that the opposite wasn't true, though. He didn't want to brag, but Mwana knew that he was a very handsome specimen. The younger lionesses would giggle and blush around him, but the male lion would never use that to his advantage.

Just then, Mwana felt something prodding into his mane. The lion opened his eyes to see his younger brother nosing him, trying to wake him up. When Kidogo saw that he was awake, he pulled back and sat in front of Mwana, smiling.

"Hey, Mwana. What're you doing up here?"

The older lion sighed heavily and shifted his position so that he was eye-level with the cub. "Nothing," he replied, "Just thinking about the future."

Kidogo frowned. He didn't like seeing Mwana so stressed. He looked up to his big brother, and he liked him best when he was in a good mood, laughing and smiling.

"I know that you're worried, Mwana," the adolescent muttered, looking down at his paws. "But you'll be a great King. Trust me."

Mwana smiled and pulled the young lion into a hug. "Thanks, Kidogo," he said happily, "You always know how to cheer me up."

The adolescent yelped and squirmed in his brother's strong grip. "Hey!" he yelled, "Let go! I'm not a little cub anymore! YOU'RE MESSING UP MY MANE!"

Mwana let go of Kidogo, laughing heartily at his antics. The younger saw this as his chance to get back at him, and he pounced, sending him and his elder brother tumbling down the hill.

As the rolled through the tall grass, the brothers laughed and growled playfully, trying to pin each other on the ground. Suddenly, they crashed into what seemed to be another animal. Mwana gasped and quickly got up to apologize, but what he saw made him freeze.

Before the two was a pack of six male lions, and they certainly did not look friendly. They were all large, muscular, and covered in old wounds and scars. Their eyes were burning and wild, piercing into Mwana and Kidogo.

The younger brother blanched and ducked behind his brother, frightened. The adult looked equally scared as the male they had crashed into got up off the ground with a grunt. He turned and glared at the young lions, snarling.

"What do you brats think you're doing?" the dangerous lion growled angrily.

Mwana didn't know how to respond. He was paralyzed in shock. Some future King he was.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Meanwhile, Huduma was resting near the water hole with his pride. He, too, was troubled. He trusted Mwana as a leader, but was worried about the future. What would happen to his family when he was gone? The lion knew that he was aging, and probably didn't have much time left on this world.

"Huduma? Hudama! Wake up, quickly!" The lion could hear the urgent calls of his mate, Makini. Concerned, he immediately opened his eyes and got up from his resting posistion.

Makini was not looking at him. Her shocked gaze was directed to the rugged lion before them.

Huduma gasped and observed the stranger. The lion was large and muscular, and his lackluster coat was heavily scarred. His mane was wild, thinning and sticking out in some places. The lion smelled of blood and death. He was definitley not an innocent passerby.

"Who are you?" Huduma commanded in his deep voice. By now the other lionesses had gathered behind their leaders, looking on warily.

The stranger only smirked and said, "We have your two sons."

Makini's eyes went wide with anger and worry. Huduma, however wasted no time to pounce on the other lion and snarl in his face.

"What?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THEM?!" The leader of the pride roared. The thought of his beloved sons in danger filled him with unimaginable rage.

Oddly, the stranger didn't react to the attack. He only smirked again. "If you do anything to me, my comrades will assume the worst, and kill your sons."

Huduma was at a loss for words. He had never felt so helpless as he got off of the treacherous lion and sat next to his Queen, dumbfounded.

Makini, shaking with fury, could barely control the level of her voice. "Listen to me, stranger," she began calmly, "Take us to Mwana and Kidogo right now, or face the consequences."

The lion only shrugged and turned to walk away. "Follow me, then we'll talk," he said, as he headed back in the direction he came.

And with an exchange of worried glances, Huduma and his small pride followed.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

Makini looked sidelong at her King as they followed the trespasser who dared to hurt her sons. His face was an expressionless mask, but his brown eyes betrayed the anger and fear they were all feeling.

The lioness closed her eyes, fighting back tears. It took all of her stregnth not to attack and kill the lion walking ahead of them. This ragtag group of males he spoke of made a grave mistake in hurting her boys.

Behind them, the lionesses were whispering to each other quietly. Like the King and Queen, they didn't quite know what was going on. Nevertheless, they were very anxious.

Walking around the hill, the group beheld the site before them in a small clearing in the grass. Five male lions, similar in appearence to the one they had met, were there. Two of them were holding Mwana on the ground. His eyes were scrunched up in pain and fear, tears leaking out. The lion had some bloody scratches on his shiny coat, tainting it red.

A third male was holding down the smaller Kidogo. The poor cub was covering his face and trembling under the strong paw. Seeing this made their pride livid.

"RELEASE MY SONS AT ONCE!" Huduma snarled, extracting his claws. The six males looked up in surprise, but they didn't seem too worried about the appearance of the pride of lions.

Mwana opened his eyes. They were filled with fear but at the same time with some relief. "Father!" he exclaimed weakly. Then, one of the malevolent males brought his paw down on the young lion's maned neck, chocking him. "Shut up, brat!" he growled.

Huduma, Makini, and the rest of the pride had seen enough. With roars of anger, they lunged at the group of males, ready to kill. In a matter of seconds, the fight between the evil males and the small pride was on.

It took Mwana a few moments to realize that there was no more weight pushing him down. He opened his eyes and sprang up, only to see chaos. He was surronded by the fighting lions. Some of the lionesses he knew lay on the ground, wounded, while others were still fighting the rouges. Hurriedly, he blinked his vision clear and looked around for his family.

He gasped when he found his father. Huduma was viciously attacking one of the rouges who was holding him down. There was a murderous fire in his father's eyes that Mwana had never seen before. The rouge was barely able to dodge his attacks.

Suddenly, a cry broke out through the sound of the fighting. "SOMEONE! HELP!" Mwana whirled around and saw one of the big lions fighting off two lionesses while dragging Kidogo away. The cub was pawing at the ground desperatley, trying to get away.

Mwana's mind screamed with fear and anger. With a roar, he ran to his brother's rescue. Dodging some of the fighting pride members he leaped into the air, pouncing on the larger male's back.

The male snarled in pain as Mwana's claws dug into his flesh. He released Kidogo and jumped away, allowing Mwana to reach his little brother. The young adult crouched protectivley over the cowering cub, growls emitting from his throat.

"Why you little..." The rouge bared his teeth, preparing to pounce. However, before he had the chance, a flash of yellow flew past Mwana and tackled the rouge to the ground. It was Makini, and she quickly chrushed the male's throat in her jaws, killing him. He chocked for a second, than lay there, his eyes wide in shock blood trickling from his gaping mouth.

Mwana was still pretty shocked himself. He had never seen his mother take down a lion that quickly before. But before he could react, another rouge charged at them, his teeth bared and eyes burning.

"You BITCH! YOU KILLED MY BROTHER!" He screamed. Mwana, Kidogo, and Makini braced themselves for the oncoming attack, but Huduma broke away from the rest of the fighting and intercepted the rouge's path, knocking him away.

"Mwana!" the King yelled, "Take your brother and run!" He was struggling to hold the other male down as he spoke. However, his son just began shaking his head, brown eyes wide with despair.

"Love, please," Mwana heard his mother whisper. When he turned to look at her, her bright eyes were brimming with tears. At that moment, time seemed to stop for the young lion. Glancing around the battlefield, he saw that most of the lionesses were either dead or trying to retreat. The group of rouges had gained the upper hand.

Mwana looked at his father next. The majestic lion had fared worse in the fray than his mate. He was bleeding from many wounds, and his once warm eyes were weak, and barely had anymore light in them. Many negative emotions seemed to swirl in those brown orbs.

Kidogo looked up at his brother. The small lion's green eyes were terrified. No matter how much he boasted about himself, he was still a cub. Mwana felt pity that someone so young had to expirience all of this.

Without another moment's hesitation, he leaned down and whispered to his brother urgently, "Kidogo, get on my back. We got to get out of here."

The cub blinked in surprise. He expected his older brother to stay and fight alongside his parents. But after taking a look at his surroundings, he decided to climb up onto Mwana's back to get away from the danger.

With Kidogo secure on his back, Mwana took one last look at his parents. He was horrified to see that three of the rouges were circling his family menacingly.

"We've got you now, gramps!" One of them laughed victoriously. Huduma only snarled in response.

"Boys!" Makini called out to ger sons, "Run! Your father and I love you! We'll hold them off as long as we can!"

Kidogo tried to say something back, but because if feat he couldn't form any words. He could only mutter his parents names weakly.

The rouges took this moment of hesitation to their advantage. Two of them pounced on the King and Queen, pinning them on the ground and slashing at them violently.

"MOM! DAD! NO!" Mwana cried, tears stinging his eyes. Forgetting that Kidogo was on his back, he rushed to help his parents. His brother, surprised, clutched his brother's back fearfully and hoped not to fall.

Suddenly, the third rouge male lept in front of Mwana and smacked him across the face with his paw. Kidogo cried sonething out, but Mwana didn't catch it as he gasped and stumbled back.

"You weak brats can't do anything!" The larger male growled. "You're useless!"

Mwana couldn't take it anymore. He turned tail and ran away as fast as he could. Away from the violence, away from the killing, away from his future territory.

Away from his loving parents.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

"Mwana! Stop! We have to go back! MWANA!"

The young lion was desperately trying to get his older brother's attention as he raced across the Savannah. Kidogo had never seen his brother run so quickly, even when hunting. The younger didn't want to risk jumping off and hurting himself, so he continued to hang on to Mwana.

After what seemed like hours, The elder brother slowed down and collapsed on his side underneath a grove of trees. The prairie stream flowed nearby, but Mwana was too exhausted to even drink. Kidogo had rolled off of his brother's back when he fell.

The cub quickly scrambled towards his panting brother and began shaking him frantically. "Mwana! We have to go back! We have to go to Mom and Dad!"

As much as he wanted to, Mwana knew that they could never return home. Partly because he was very afraid, but mostly due to what their father had said to him one day, just weeks before.

_"Have I ever spoken to you about rogue lions, Mwana?" Huduma had brought up as he and his son were patrolling the prairie one evening._

_The younger lion stopped and sat down in the swaying grass, a thoughtful look on his muzzle._

_"I don't think so, Father, but I do know that they are bad news."_

_"Right you are, my son," Huduma replied as he sat down in front of his heir. "These lions, for some reason or another, leave their prides prematurely. Most of them are vicious and dangerous, roaming the land in search of other prides to conquer and make their own."_

_Mwana nodded in response. He could see worry and concern in his father's wise eyes as he spoke._

_"But most dangerous of all are rogues who band together in packs and destroy prides together. I hope very much that a fate such as that does not befall our family."_

_Mwana was beginning to worry as well. Rouge lions weren't exactly common, but they were to be feared. He thought of his mother, his little brother, and the lionesses. It would soon be his duty to protect them from any threat._

_"Don't worry, Father," the young lion said determinedly, looking up at Huduma. "When I become leader of our pride, I will never let anything like that happen!"_

_The older lion just smiled sadly and nuzzled his son tenderly._

_"You've grown so much Mwana. You don't know how proud of you I am."_

Tears began flowing from the lion's brown eyes as he remembered this, and he buried his head in his paws in despair. Kidogo was becoming frantic and called out to his brother once more.

"Mwana, please!" the younger cried, "We can't abandon the pride!"

"I'm so, so sorry, Kidogo," Mwana whimpered pathetically, still covering his face. "That's not our pride anymore. We've lost."

When the elder didn't get an immediate response, he raised his head up slightly to face Kidogo. Through the tears, he could make out the adolescent's green eyes, wide in shock, his mouth slightly open. When Kidogo saw the ice and hopelessness in his brother's eyes, that was enough to break his already wounded spirit. The brevity of the situation finally crashed down on the cub.

"No...no, it's not true," Kidogo said miserably. Tears had begun cascading down his bright yellow face. "You're lying, Mwana, we can't abandon them...we can't!" the poor, young lion broke down into sobs as he buried his face in his brother's mane.

Even as Mwana held his little brother tightly, crying out in anguish, he knew that he was a failure. That he would've never become the leader his father was. All that faith placed into him by the pride was for nothing. Now, he felt lost, and afraid.

The brothers didn't know where to go now.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

The blue sky above began to glow as evening came. For what seemed like an eternity, Mwana lay still, holding his now sleeping brother close to him, staring blankly at the horizon. For the last few hours, the lion had let sink in what had happened to his pride; his beloved and wise parents were probably dead, and the lionesses who hadn't been killed were most likely forced into submission by the rogues. Fury flared up in Mwana's mind at the thought of those lions, who dared take away the only family and home he'd known.

Mwana took a deep breath and tried to assess the current situation. He had to take his brother and get as far away from the rogues as he could. Mwana knew they might try to find the brothers and eliminate what was left of their father's lineage. However, thought Mwana, where could he and Kidogo find a new home? Would another pride of lions be generous enough to take them in?

Mwana cut his thinking short when he felt his little brother begin to stir next to him. Kidogo opened his green eyes and glanced about him before sighing sadly and falling limp again.

Seeing the younger lion like this broke Mwana's heart. Gently, he nudged his muzzle against Kidogo's smaller head.

"Hey," the older lion said soothingly, "Are you alright?"

Kidogo didn't respond to his brother for several moments. "For a second, I thought I was just having a nightmare," he finally whispered.

Not exactly sure how to respond, Mwana set his maned head down on the warm ground. "Yeah, me too."

"...So this is it?" Kidogo began again as he moved away from Mwana and sat back down. "Do we just wait here until we die? Do we go back home? Who am I kidding? Mom and Dad are gone and it's my fault for getting caught by those rogues."

Seeing his brother becoming frantic, Mwana went over to where he was sitting and nuzzled him. That seemed to quiet Kidogo down, and he buried his face into his elder brother's mane as fresh tears began rolling out of his emerald eyes.

"What happened wasn't our fault, Kidogo," Mwana murmured, trying to comfort him. "Those rogues could have easily caught our pride by surprise anyway."

The younger lion remained silent. Suddenly he stiffened and began to tremble. "...Mwana? Do you smell that?"

Mwana arched an eyebrow in confusion at his brother. "What are you talking about..." he began to ask, until he smelled a scent that made his hackles stand on end. It was the scent of death and bloodlust. The same scent they had smelled from the rogues.

"Stay back, I'll check it out," Mwana whispered in order to not betray the fear in his voice. Crouching low, the older lion sneaked through the tall yellow grass around them towards the awful smell. At first, Mwana could not see anything or anyone in the area. Just before he was about to return to Kidogo, however, he glimpsed something moving on the crest of a nearby hill.

Mwana looked up and immediately froze. One of the rogue lions was standing on the hill, gazing out at the land before him with untamed eyes. His muscular body was covered in new scratches and bruises, and his messy mane shone with dried blood.

Mwana, trembling, began crawling backwards as carefully as possible to his little brother. He kept his eyes locked on the rogue, who continued to survey the area from his post. Suddenly, the rogue's eyes snapped to Mwana's position in the grass. The young lion froze and closed his brown eyes, hoping that he was blending in with the colors of the grass.

Mwana heard silence, and then an angry snarl. His eyes flew open in shock, expecting to see the rogue male flying down the hill to end his life. However, he only saw the other lion spin around and pad down the opposite side, a frustrated air about him. Extremely relieved, Mwana spun around and bounded back to the grove of trees where Kidogo had taken shelter.

"Kidogo! Come out, it's me," the elder called as he approached.

The adolescent nervously peeked around a tree he was hiding behind, eyes wide with worry. "What did you see, Mwana?"

"It was one of the rogues," he responded quickly, "I think they might be looking for us."

"But why? They don't mean to...finish us off...do they?" Kidogo stammered fearfully, moving closer to his older brother.

"That doesn't matter right now, Kidogo," Mwana replied softly, not wanting to confirm the cub's fears. "Right now, we just have to keep moving."

Kidogo opened his mouth to complain, but stopped himself once he saw the anxiety and fear in his brother's eyes and stance. He had never seen Mwana act like this, and it frightened the younger lion. Kidogo nodded mutely, not knowing what else to do.

"We'll head downstream. Come on," Mwana blankly said, taking charge again. He padded over to his little brother and nudged him gently along. Reluctantly, Kidogo followed his brother out of the trees' shade and into the scorching evening sun.

As the brothers walked, Mwana kept his head raised and eyes trained ahead. The lion knew that looking back would only twist the spine deeper into his wounded heart. When he looked sidelong at Kidogo, he could tell he was thinking the same thing. The adolescent kept his sad emerald eyes on the stream flowing next to them, tying to forget about what was happening to them.

_How could everything change so much in just one day?_ Mwana wondered as he and Kidogo continued their slow trek into the unknown lands ahead of them.


End file.
